Lullaby For A Stormy Night
by craZkid
Summary: When Mello, Matt, Near, X-ray and Pink are frightened of a thunderstorm, one of Wammy's oldest teenaged residents is where the kids go for comfort. Just a fun one-shot. Needless to say this was written on a stormy night.


X-ray and Pink huddled together under the covers of Pink's bed. The lightning lit up the frightened expressions on the girl's faces as a loud clap of thunder shook the windows. The girls screamed and bolted out of the room. They didn't get far before they collided with someone who was apparently in as big of a rush as they were. Lightning flashed again and the two relaxed as they caught a glimpse of two heads of hair, one a reddish-brown, the other snowy white. Matt grabbed X-ray's hand.

"X-ray? Pink? Is that you?"

"Y-yeah." X-ray responded, seizing Pink's wrist with her opposite hand.

"You boys aren't scared of the storm, are you?"

X-ray giggled at the smile in her cousin's voice.

"Of course we weren't!" Snapped a familiar voice from behind Matt. The voice came from someone with equally familiar long blonde hair. Near shook his head silently, one thumb in his mouth, a teddy bear wedged into the crook of his arm.

"I am." Matt admitted sheepishly, adjusting his grip on Near's hand. A huge crack of thunder boomed right above Wammy's, making the little group shriek with fright. Panicked, the children sped down the hall, too afraid to pay attention to where they were going. The next minute, they collided with someone who had stepped into the hallway.

"What on earth are you all doing out here? What's wrong?" A warm, familiar, sleep-filled voice washed over them. The children relaxed, all except Near, who had never really been frightened in the first place, only a little. Reaching back into his room, Beyond Birthday flicked on a lamp. One look at the expressions on the small faces before him told the seventeen-year-old all he needed to know. Beyond's lips twitched up into a smile as he reached down and lifted Near onto one hip. After flicking the light off again he took X-ray's hand.

"Come on guys. I know someone who's better at dealing with this than I am."

X-ray frowned at the faint trace of sadness in Beyond's voice. The next thing she knew, however, Matt's hand was yanked out of hers, followed by a small scuffling sound, which was then followed by a slightly larger hand grabbing hers. X-ray glanced in the hall mirror as another flash of lightning illuminated the hall. What X-ray saw in the mirror was exactly what she expected to see. Beyond led the small procession, with Near on one hip, and X-ray clinging to his hand. Pink and Matt brought up the rear, with Mello in the middle of the line, gripping X-ray's hand as if he expected to lose it in the dark. She met Mello's electric blue eyes in the glass and they flashed faintly.

"Not so tight, Mello." X-ray hissed quietly, Mello slackened his grip on her fingers a bit. When they reached their destination, Beyond Birthday lightly kicked the door open enough to permit him and his small group to enter. He released X-ray's hand, allowing her to cling to his t-shirt as he leant over the bed, adjusting his hold on Near. Looking around, Matt and Mello realized they were in Coco's room, Beyond's best, if not only, close friend. Beyond gently shook Coco awake with one hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Coco. I brought you some company."

"What? Who?" Coco sat up a bit, one strap of her tank top sliding off of her shoulder haphazardly as she shielded her face when Beyond flicked on her lamp.

"Several visitors, one of them small." Beyond informed Coco as he motioned to Near, who held out his arms to Coco in a silent question to his favorite person. Coco took the six-year-old into her arms and leaned against the headboard. She looked the other four over with sleep-filled eyes. Suddenly Coco yawned.

"Come on then. Everybody up."

The children quickly scrambled under the covers as another clap of thunder, even louder than the last, shook the house. Coco flicked out the light as Beyond closed her door quietly. Next, Coco began to sing softly.

_little child, be not afraid_

_though rain pounds harshly against the glass_

_like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

_little child, be not afraid_

_though thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_illuminates your tear-stained face_

_I am here tonight_

Near was the first to fall asleep, nuzzling his snowy white head under Coco's chin as she sang. His grip on his teddy bear loosened a bit, his thumb still in his mouth as his eyes drifted shut.

_and someday you'll know_

_that nature is so_

_the same rain that draws you near me_

_falls on rivers and land_

_on forests and sand_

_makes the beautiful world that you'll see_

_in the morning_

_little child, be not afraid_

_though storm clouds mask your beloved moon_

_and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight_

Matt yawned, earning a light slap on the face from Mello as he got a whiff of the brunette's breath. But Matt was too sleepy to retaliate, and he hugged Coco's leg while his breathing grew slow and even as he slipped into dream-land.

_little child, be not afraid_

_though wind makes creatures of our trees_

_and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand_

_and I am here tonight_

Despite her efforts to stay awake, Pink felt her head droop lower and lower until it rested in Coco's lap. Calmed by the sixteen-year-old's voice, Pink didn't complain as Near's small fist found a clump of her hair and took hold of it, his teddy bear in his lap.

_for you know, once even I was a_

_little child, and I was afraid_

_but a gentle someone always came_

_to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_and to give a kiss goodnight_

X-ray rubbed her eyes as they drifted shut, resting her head on Coco's legs. The top of her head was pressed against Matt's hair but she was grateful for the contact of her friend as she snuggled against Coco's legs. Soon, she fell asleep.

_well now I am grown_

_and these years have shown_

_that rain's a part of how life goes_

_but it's dark and it's late_

_so I'll hold you and wait_

_'til your frightened eyes do close_

_and I hope that you'll know..._

Mello gripped the back of X-ray's shirt, his forehead pressed against the back of her neck. Another loud clap of thunder boomed overhead and he jumped slightly. Coco's hand was there in an instant, smoothing her fingers over his hair soothingly. The loving gesture calmed him and he snuggled his head into X-ray's neck as he drifted off to sleep.

_everything's fine in the morning_

_the rain'll be gone in the morning_

_but I'll still be here in the morning_


End file.
